Category: Local Food (Page 6 of 13)

All about local food finding in the Twin Cities

21 Roots Farm

August 28, 2020 / / 2 Comments

Welcome to 21 Roots Farm

As you drive up the country lane you can’t help but feel the at home arriving to this teaching farm. This unique farm combines a quaint country landscape with wagon loads of knowledge and passion to empower people with developmental disabilities.

This is one of those magical places where time stands still, and you get to simply BE in the moment; whether you are visiting the apple orchard, chickens, cats, goats, donkeys, cows, bee hives, gardens or meandering wildflower paths.

But there is a lot more than wondering and wandering happening on these 21 acres. just north east of the Twin Cities.

Teaching Farm

As a teaching farm, the space is specifically designed for adults and children with disabilities. They offer seasonal day programming and special events throughout the year as a way to “foster inclusive connections that are rooted in real life.”

What a gift to the community the three main staff have cultivated with sweat equity – and a guardian angel who wishes to remain anonymous.

I first met up with the team on a frigid + snowy day in January, and like all good farm folks, they were deep into dream mode! Even in the snow they shared their vision of hands-on activities giving those with disabilities a chance to commune with nature and each other.

That dreaming and planning paid off this summer. Even with Covid, they continued with programming for most of their farmers, a huge feat considering the current situation. I see it as more evidence of the commitment to their vocation, the farmers and animals who know this teaching farm as home.

It certainly takes a deep commitment to keep a farm like this up and running. Three highly trained and passionate staff keep things sprouting and running.

Meet the FarmHers

Laura, Amy and Brittany of 21 Roots

Meet the brains, brawn and heart of 21 Roots. Like any great team they create a synergy together that is inspiring to watch.

Amy – Co founder and Farm Operations
Brittany– Co founder and Program Manager
Laura – Farm Manager

The Origin Story

Amy and Brittany were college friends and the dream to open something like 21 Roots Farms took hold shortly after they graduated. After gathering ideas and experiences, they are living the dream! They purchased the farm (with the help of a guardian angel) in October of 2018, have now gained 501(c)3 status and are offering the nature-based programming they’ve dreamed of.

The Farm Land

A variety of hands-on experiences center around sustainable farming practices. They have an orchard full of fruit trees; cherry trees that produce enough to be used by Sarah’s Tipsy Pies, and apple trees heavy with fruit every fall! The chickens also hang out up in the orchard and are much loved (read chased!) by all the visiting farmers!

The larger animals; their cows, donkeys and goats are kept in the big red barn seem to be the real stars…They have an adorable page dedicated to their animals, I highly recommend visiting the “Meet the Animals” page on 21 Roots to get in your daily does of cute!

They have a few different field and garden spaces where they’re growing food crops as well. Raised beds with square foot gardening grids sit next to wide open rows of crops.

The garden area even has a fun potato growing bin- my kids thought this was the coolest potato plant they’ve ever seen- because they could actually SEE it! I mean really, how cool is that!

The underground worm bin and hot compost in the chicken area are other working experiments that show the love of learning from real life that the farm provides.

The wildflower fields are thanks to the previous owners’ prairie restoration project that was started a few years back and is flourishing now.

The Programs

The farm offers day programs, which were able to continue even during Covid as all activities are held outside and were capped at 10 ‘farmers’. Different days focus on slightly different facets of the farm, but all days include time to love on the animals and appreciate nature doing her thing. The personal attention and innovative farming and teaching techniques make for a bit of learning magic!

Farm to Home Animal Yoga Video

The Popular ‘Farm to Home’ videos cover bite size pieces of information while up close and personal with animals. Sometimes reading children’s books, sometimes just hanging with the cast of animal characters on the farm. Another gift they freely give to us all.

I joined in the fun this summer during one of their “Wednesday Explorers” sessions. We talked about seed saving, walked their wildflower fields and made pollinator seed bombs. What a fun way to spread my love of gardening!

We’re planning a seed saving event of a larger scale this fall as well- if you’re interested in saving seed from this farm’s prairie restoration area for use in local Seed Libraries, please contact me directly by commenting on this post, or messaging me on social media!

Part of the Sunflower Circle + Barn

Get Involved

Like any nonprofit 21 Roots always benefits from both volunteers and donations. They have a volunteer interest form you can fill out online and a link to donate as well.

Your time and efforts will reap more than you sow – it’s just that kind of place. Every time I visit I leave feeling good knowing this farm is out there, ready and waiting to serve as inspiration to keep adults and children with disabilities learning from and connecting with nature.

Simply being at 21 Roots Farm helps your spirit roam wild, while cultivating a sense of community. Choose to volunteer or donate and be part of living out the motto “it’s not the destination it’s the journey”.

Go to 21rootsfarm.org for more information on programming and how you can help today.

Find a way to dig in to this local teaching farm and you’ll be happy as a Kid again 😉

– Michelle

Get Your Family to Eat More Veggies!

July 31, 2020 / / 2 Comments

Tips and tricks from a gardening Mom on how to get your kids (and stubborn adults) to eat more veggies. This is high summer in the garden and wow is there a LOT of fresh food coming in.

Really, how are we supposed to make dinner EVERY night?!? Not to mention, breakfast, lunch and ALL THE SNACKS… Even with easy to incorporate veggies like cucumbers and green beans, we can all get in a rut.

Since “Food is Fun” is one of my mottos, I’ve gathered a few simple tricks over the years…  And these are different than the hide the veggies in the food ideas- which I used to do, but really we should be loud + proud when we eat more veggies!

PS- There is NO SUBSTITUTE for home grown / locally grown produce because when food naturally tastes good it is easy to eat!

Snack Tray

AKA ‘kid version’ of the Charcuterie board… chopping raw veggies and slicing cheese, putting out a few nuts, crackers, sourdough and of course some dips like hummus and dressings… and boom meal complete.

**Look for different colors, shapes and sizes of familiar foods.** There are ‘Lemon’ and ‘Dragon Egg’ cucumbers to keep them eating more. Purple, yellow, red and white carrots are pretty cool too!

Sauté  Saves the Day

This high heat browning technique is quickest way to add layers of flavor to veggies. Starting with onion + garlic, toss in larger chunks/slower to cook veggies first, then and add shredded veggies- and maybe some peppers or tomatoes for flavor. One of my favorite combos is chard,kale or beet greens with onion and garlic and adding in some tomato to up the acidity and create a little sauce base.

Variety of Beets ready for the grill

Just Grill It

Like roasting in the winter, grilling in the summer adds so much flavor to food! A family favorite is roasted peppers, onions + zucchini, with an olive oil and salt + pepper prep. The fun part is drizzling a little dressing on afterwards. Salad Girl’s “Curry Fig” is phenomenal on zucchini after- or if you place veggies on foil while grilling, marinating in it first.

Shape Shift

My mandolin is a meal saver, because I can shred zucchini into coleslaw or a salad base, I can shave carrots, beets or kohlrabi into ribbons or sheets, or even regular old cabbage into instant salads- using the same tried and true veggies my family loves- but presenting them in different ways makes it more fun for my kids – and I’ll be honest- more fun me and my hubby too.

Herbal Appeal

Three kids of Basil, each with their own unique flavor adds to the fun of Italian Salads!

Most of us have a few potted herbs around, this is the time to use them! Most herbs do much better after getting a pruning anyway, and you’ll add fresh intense flavors to your meals. Thyme with lemony dishes, of course adding basil to Italian dishes, and chives to anything with eggs (including hard boiled) just brightens up the flavors. I’ll also add in that many herbs are VERY easy to dry simply by hanging if you start snipping and realize you have a LOT of green!

Quickles

Quick pickling is a life saver as the dog days of summer wear on- I use a simple quick pickle recipe- and I have found adding a little of Salad Girl’s “Lemony Herb” to the mix goes a long way… Any veggie you enjoy raw makes a good candidate for these. From cucumbers, carrots, green beans, radishes, zucchini, cauliflower…all great ways to eat more veggies.

Basic Quick Pickle Recipe

1 Cup cider vinegar, 1 Cup water, ¼ honey or sugar, 1 T kosher salt. Heat brine to dissolve and combine, pour over jars packed with veggies, seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Enjoy for a few weeks, if they last that long.

Adding quick pickles to salads is a great way to jazz up salads that soak up lots of flavor- also amazing over potatoes. This recipe is meant to be played with so make it your own! My seasonings have included; mustard seeds, garlic, fennel leaves, dill, onion slices, peppercorn, hot peppers, bell peppers, ginger, any garden fresh herbs).

Ferment It!

Another, healthier version of pickling is fermentation, and it doesn’t use vinegar- but you end up with that puckering taste, plus TONS of amazing gut friendly good bacteria… if you’re interested check out my blog on different ways to pickle + ferment your beans, cucumbers, carrots etc. into crispy, crunchy snacks that last months in your refrigerator.

Summer Fun

I love summer – and spending it OUTSIDE is key… so I try hard to make fast work of preserving and putting up food now to enjoy all winter long.  Don’t forget you can freeze things like tomatoes and shredded zucchini to cook with later.

**There’s a reason meal kit services are all the rage right now… but that’s just not my world and the packaging, delivery and processing takes adds up to a hefty carbon footprint that takes a toll on our world too.**

I hope this helps you find new ways to remind yourself that Food is Fun! Please share your tips for getting your family to eat more veggies too!

Dig In,
Michelle

Great Garlic Scapes

June 14, 2020 / / 4 Comments

Garlic Lovers Unite!

I love a good two for one and garlic delivers every time!

This bulb is used to flavor foods the world over, and one of the best kept secrets about garlic is the garlic scape!

Because of the way hardneck garlic grows there are two chances to harvest deliciousness. We all know about garlic cloves, technically the bulb, harvested in late summer… but the beautiful reed like stalks shooting up and the single flower stalk that shoots up from the center, around midsummer in my region, are a delicacy known as the scape.

The garlic scape is slightly milder and somehow ‘brighter’ than the underground cloves. They can be eaten raw or cooked with the flavor changing drastically after heating. I enjoy eating them in a few different ways. In a garlic scape pesto (recipe below), grilling them with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice- when they magically taste like asparagus, or fermenting for a spicy mid-winter snack.

They show up around midsummer in farmers markets, but the surest way to gather garlic scapes is to grow your own!

For ALL the Details on Planting Garlic, Read my Growing Great Garlic post.

Harvesting Garlic Scapes

Once the garlic scapes have curled around and you can see where a flower will emerge from, it’s time to get snipping. The softer the scape, the more tender eating- so you take them when you want, depending on your end goals… I usually harvest almost all at once, so I get a variety of maturity, I use the larger ones in pesto, and the smaller ones I grill or ferment.


*You will also want to snip off the flower tips and add to the compost as the buds can harbor bad bacteria and I just don’t dig the texture*

Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe

Ingredients:
1 Cup + of garlic scapes, chopped
½ Cup Basil
Juice ½ lemon
½ tsp+ salt
½ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ Cup sunflower seeds or pine nuts
¼ C grated Parmesan / Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 

Instructions:
Place scapes in food processor (or Ninja) and pulse to chop finely, add all ingredients but the olive oil and pulse until well combined. Then drizzle in (or add in batches to Ninja) olive oil. Try to freeze half for a mid-winter burst of summer flavor! *If using raw seeds or nuts, toast before using.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy garlic scapes?

Dig in!

Michelle

Bright Future Farms

May 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This family farm’s future is bright indeed!

The name alone gives you a warm fuzzy feeling and I can tell you from personal experience, their greenhouse is wonderfully warm even in the depths of winter… or at least most winters.

Like so many farmers and small business owners, Theresa is always looking to the future, and decided to make a ‘sea change’ in the farm over the last winter. They switched over from Aquaponics to Hydroponics, showing just how nimble small businesses can be.

As Theresa, the main farmer at Bright Future Farms, settles into these changes, she is finding room for growth in new areas. But first – let’s take a look at Aquaponic and Hydroponic development.

A Quick History

Farmers have always been tinkerers.  And some Mayan farmers (2,000 years ago!) were farming using an intricate system of open water canals, reservoirs and filtration boxes. Other cultures have used flooding and seasonal water fluctuations to their agricultural advantage throughout the years; think rice paddies.

Flash forward to the 1970’s and Dr James Rakocy at the University of the Virgin Islands developed a commercial-scale Aquaponics system that harnesses the waste of fish to fertilize plants, all within a closed loop system.

Aquaponics or Hydroponics

  • GrowStones

The main difference between the two systems is that aquaponics grows fish within the system as a way to fertilize the plants, while hydroponics grows plants only. Both systems are soil-less, using ‘growing medium’ like perlite, grow stones, rock wool etc. More info on ways to grow in the fun video by Epic Gardnening. The systems can look quite different and there are lots of small variations.

Hydroponics can be as simple as getting nutrient filled water to flow by plant roots. But even those kinds of systems require a pump. An Aquaponics system also includes:

Rearing Tanks, Clarifier, Filter Tanks.

The water is sent through the rearing tanks, clarifier and filters then onto the hydroponic tanks to water AND feed the produce. For Theresa, if they’re not growing fish, they simply add those fertilizing nutrients into the system.

The beauty of an aquaponics system is that lots of complex natural processes happen on their own… as long as the system is set up correctly. This creates a sustainable, self-contained system that produces nutrient dense foods.

In other terms, the fish produce waste, which is converted to fertilizer for plants, the plants then filter the water that return to the fish.

‘In’ the Farm

Theresa ended up with a single, 24′ X 36′  freestanding greenhouse that has supplemental heat for our cold Minnesota winters provided by a propane furnace.

Nelson and Pade, Inc is a trusted source for Aquaponics systems, and is the Wisconsin company Theresa went through to purchase her original Aquaponics set up. While not cheap to start up, the system is quite efficient once running.

The first thing I did when I visited on that frigid February day was walk through their bio-security system which included washing your hands and walking through a foot bath of a bacterial and parasitic killing solution. This step adds to their ability to say that they’re clean from outside contaminants, and keeps things growing healthy and organically.

Tending the System

When I first explored the greenhouse, it looked a bit like a science experiment, with tubes and tanks all hooked up and going around and around. But Theresa was able to explain it simply.

Theresa checks the water quality by testing levels of ammonia, nitrates, pH level, plus checks the temperature daily. The main input to an aquaponic system is fish food. The fish eat the food and excrete waste. More than 50% of the waste produced by fish is in the form of ammonia secreted in the urine and, in small quantities, through the gills. Monitoring a few key chemical levels assures healthy fish and plants.

Sea Change

Their greenhouse now consists of a Dutch bucket drip system for tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers, and a deep-water raft system for a variety of lettuces.

Dutch Buckets – photo credit Farmer Theresa

All produce is grown without soil or chemicals in very efficient re-circulating systems, within a controlled environment. Their current growing method is hydroponics, but the raft system is configured for both hydroponics and aquaponics.

  • Floating Raft System

Right now, they are adding the nutrients to the deep-water raft system. On average hydroponic systems use 10 times less water to grow food than traditional field crops. That adds up quick! 

“We may raise tilapia again, to have our aquaponics system operating, but are going to compare results of growing lettuce hydroponically before making that decision. Either method of growing produces healthy, delicious and safe food,” says Theresa. As you can see, this farmer is a scientist at heart.

Also of note, composting the unused parts of the vegetables they grow helps add to the general fertility of their outdoor farm garden.

Bright Future Farm also grows a variety of microgreens, also without soil or chemicals, that nicely accompany their other lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

Now, more than ever, smaller farms are becoming more popular will feed more of the country. Bright Future Farms combines that small business nimbleness with water wise growing techniques to produce delicious produce – and sometimes fish! In places where water is short, hydro- and aqua- ponics will play a larger and larger roll in food production in the upcoming years.

Theresa and her mom all smiles at market!

Catch Bright Future farm at these upcoming Farmers Markets:

Cambridge Farmers Market:
Saturdays starting May 7th 9am-1pm

Lindstrom Farmers Market:
Wednesdays, starting July 8th 3pm-6pm

Bright Future Farm’s Future is, well – bright! Check out their website for more info.

Dig into locally grown food!
Michelle

Getting the Garden Going during COVID 19

April 15, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Many of you have been asking me about vegetable gardening this year and I love it! I wanted to take this chance to cover (more of) the bases at once.

Specifically, you’ve been asking me about planting seeds versus getting plants later – not sure how COVID 19 will affect things this season… While I don’t have a crystal ball, I have been looking into things, and talking with local garden centers and farm stores, communicating with seed companies and plant distributors here’s what I can gather…

Seeds Stocks

Purchase seeds from local stores, near me in White Bear Lake places like Hugo Feed Mill, Costa’s Greenhouse, Niemczyk Gardens, Egg Plant Urban Farm Supply and Bachman’s are all stocked with seeds (if they carry) and growing out plants for you. Many online seed companies are waaaaaay behind in orders, not taking orders for a while or just closed to everyone but farmers for this season. Places like those above carry seeds from some of the best known and trusted, organic companies around, like Seed Savers Exchange, Renee’s Garden and Botanical Interests. For browsing beautiful varieties check out my earlier blog post about Seed Companies.

My Local Favorites:

Hugo Feed Mill: Phone orders, 651-429-3361, prepayment with curb/dock side pick up. Here’s a BLOG all about this Hugo institution..
Costa’s Greenhouse: orders@costagreenhouse.com or Call 651-653-1269, curbside pick-up. Free delivery over $125. (greenhouse opens April 24th) Here’s a BLOG I wrote about them.
Bachman’s Maplewood:    Online or phone (612-861-7311) ordering, Curbside or Delivery.
Niemczyk Gardens: Online preordering, pickup, (greenhouse opens April 25th)
Egg Plant Urban Farm Supply: order@eggplantsupply.com, call back for payment, curbside pickup.

White Bear Lake Seed Library: email wblseedlibrary@gmail.com for FREE seeds, detail on their BLOG. Scheduled seed pickup on Saturday April 25 from 9-10 am at the White Bear Lake library’s parking lot. To pick up seeds on this date you must have your order in by Friday April 24 at 7pm.

Farmers Markets: Yes Farmers markets will continue to run, but with an increase in interest in growing your own food, and market restrictions, it just makes sense to purchase what you can ahead of time. And many farmers markets won’t start until many gardens are fully planted.

**Sadly, all of the small local spring plant sales put on by garden clubs, master gardeners, and even the Friends School Plant Sale are cancelled for this season.**

  • Hugo Feed Mill

Buy from Locally Run Stores

Same goes with buying plants later in the season (Once spring finally wins this drawn out battle over winter). Try to shop local and small companies that have online or phone ordering with curbside pickup in place. The above stores all have that happening.

Typically, April 15 is our last frost date in MN, but who knows what typical is these days. Tomato plants likely won’t be in stores until much closer to May, when our climate can handle them without cover. So let’s look at what you can get going sooner rather than later!

Seeds to Start + When

There are lots of seeds you can start outside before the frost is gone, such as: peas, spinach, lettuce, kale, radish, beets, kohlrabi, carrots can all be started NOW!
Many of the seeds listed will start germination at soil temps of 40-45F. And, even though we’ve been cold, the soil is warming up well!

The next week or two will be a great time to start broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, Swiss chard and other brassicas outside as well.

If you feel like trying something new, how about making a tiny Greenhouse of your own! Cutting a milk just in half, poking some holes on the bottom and planting cool weather crops in them is a great way to jump start the season! Just don’t plant carrot seeds in these, as root crops don’t tolerate transplanting.

Starting seeds Indoors

**Use only seed starting mix (not garden soil) when starting seeds!**

anything that is sterile with perlite or vermiculite works

The time for starting peppers from seed has mostly past, unless you get the fasted maturing varieties and can wait until August to harvest.

  • Tomatoes started in Soil Blocks

It’s getting right on the edge of time to plant tomatoes, but still worth it, look for faster maturing varieties- tip* Cherry Tomatoes usually produce a few weeks earlier than full size varieties.

Now and up to the next two weeks is a great time to start both summer and winter squash, cucumber and herb seeds indoors.

Don’t forget the easy to start flowers too, marigolds, cosmos, calendula and nasturtiums love a little head start!

I know this is a LOT of ‘overview’ info, but I wanted to cover the basics in one swoop. If you have other questions, please ask away… And I know we all have lots going on right now, but gardening is a truly calming and rewarding adventure-  I hope you give it a try!

**If you are interested in learning more, I’ll be adding a recording of my “Vegetable Gardening Basics” class to my website soon! Stay Tuned!

And, because we all do better together, **please add to the list of places you know that have seeds to start for your garden, or that will have their greenhouses filled with safe and healthy food plants!**

I hope this helps you sort through some of the unknowns of starting your garden this season!

Can’t wait to Dig In!
-Michelle

Modern Victory Gardens for All

April 3, 2020 / / 3 Comments

This is the Spring to get growing a vegetable garden!

With so much up in the air dealing with COVID19, I am soothed knowing the ground beneath my feet is here for me.

Gardening can be a great escape that also keeps you:
going outside and getting sun,
moving while the gyms are closed,
feeding you healthy food,
…which all seem like pretty good reasons to go ahead and plant a (bigger) garden this Spring!

Let’s Dig In!

Victory Gardens were a sign of national patriotism back in the days between WWI and WWII.

Even schools had gardens, which I am happy to say was already well on it’s way to making a comeback! This school garden influx is tied with the national push for Farm to School eating in school lunches!

Those home gardens focused on quick to perish or easy to store at home foods. Home Grown veggies could be found in over half of American’s lawns for a few years! To put that into numbers, “by 1944, an estimated 20 million victory gardens produced roughly 8 million tons of food—which was the equivalent of more than 40 percent of all the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States,” according to the History Channel.

The Agricultural Departments also urged us to keep our chickens, ‘two for each family member’ and I’d be happy to help you get started with that too 😉 I’ve got an article, Chickens in the Hood all about that!

During these uncertain times, I simply feel better knowing I am doing something (anything) to prepare and plan for the future. Of course, I already loved growing food, so growing more makes sense. For those of you not used to digging in and planting there are a few tips to get you planting a successful garden.

Basic Garden Tips

  • Plant what you will eat.
  • Plant in the sun, near water if possible.
  • Fence it in, because critters want to eat fresh veggies too.
  • Add compost, good soil matters.
  • Grow Vertically to keep the garden footprint small.

Plant Diversity

Consider planting a few fast growing crops like greens (lettuce, spinach) and more expensive herb plants- which also are things that you need to keep going to a store to keep buying ‘fresh’. Beets, radishes, kohlrabi and kale are all ready to harvest in 45 days. Bush beans are another crop that is ready in 60 days, and beans are truly one of the easiest plants to grow!

Or try something like cucumbers that most families love- and if you get too many, quick refrigerator pickles keep well- or go all out and make homemade pickles and slowly become just as addicted to homegrown as I am 😉

There are also lots of plants to grow inside, from salad gardens to microgreens. This is also still time to start some seeds indoors, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, kale. Only onions, celery and peppers are really past their prime for starting indoors.

The satisfaction of knowing you’ve got a plan feels almost as good it will to pick that first ripe green bean, carrot or tomato later this summer. If you want to really go for it you can plant two crops in a row of many crops (yes even in Minnesota). This technique is called succession planting.

Why Garden

For most of us, gardening is a leisure activity, and I think there’s a very good reason gardening ahs been on the rise right along side technology use and stress- because it decreases stress and gets us into the real world. In real time.

Right now, with so many things are out of our control, this is one way to work with the rhythm of nature and take back a little control over our food in a way that keeps us healthy on so many levels!

Watch my FREE YOUTUBE Video on Garden Planning

Get a Garden Plan

So, I urge you to start a garden, even a tomato in a pot, a few feet of climbing beans or a salad garden this spring. If you want to learn more about putting in a sustainable vegetable garden, I’ve got an array of in person and online classes available, check my SHOP to register.

But keep in mind that plants want to grow, that’s their job! If you give them soil, sun, water and protection from animals, the plants will reward you for your help!

Dig In!
-Michelle

Grow a Container Salad Garden

March 19, 2020 / / 2 Comments

Growing your own salad greens is one of the easiest ways to kick start spring – or prolong fall growing. Greens are fast growing, nutritious, and delicious. And like every early spring after a long winter, it’s a great time to have something to nurture that will nurture you back in a few short weeks.

It’s also a great project to introduce kids to the basics of gardening as lettuce greens grow FAST- as close to instant gratification as growing food gets!

You don’t need much in the way of supplies to get started; just a container, some potting mix and a few seeds. If you happen to have a grow light, great- but once the Spring Equinox arrives, (or as the fall equinox tolls) even up north in Minnesota, a southern facing window will grow good greens. So let’s get planting!

Container

After picking many salads from this container it is still growing strong on the 4th of July!

Any container with holes will do; so you’ll need a drip pan/saucer too. If you have used the pot before, please take the time to Disinfect it (wash in warm soapy water, then soak in a 1:9 bleach solution for 10+ minutes (I leave mine in the water for a few hours).

Potting Mix (NOT soil!)

Potting mix is sterile and gives baby seedlings the best chance of growing past the delicate first few days when they are prone to ‘damping off’ which are pathogens (fungi and bacteria) that break down the tiny stems. Many solid brands exist; Epsoma, Burpee, Miracle Grow, a smaller company, called Purple Cow Organics is available at small shops near me as well, like Bachmans, Hugo Feed Mill and Hedberg Landscape. Some of these businesses are offering pay ahead and curbside pickup during the Covid19 outbreak.

Seeds

There are so many lettuce ‘greens’ combinations it’s deliciously staggering! The basic types of lettuces are leaf lettuce, butterheads, crisp heads and romaine.

My best advice is just to grow what you will eat! But for the beauty of it, add in some reds too 😉 Lolla Rosa, Red Iceberg, Red Salad Bowl, Rouge D’Hiver ( I added scarlet kale in the video).

Try growing more salad items in the same pot- radishes, basil, dill, cilantro.

Kids love the flavor combos!


Many Seed companies sell a “Salad Mix” that include a variety of shapes and colors all maturing around the same time. Here’s a link to my favorite seed companies and their online + mailed seed catalogs for fun lettuce variety browsing!

Leaf lettuces:

These are typically pick and come again types that you’ll pick a few outer leaves and let the plant keep growing, these are best for a small container garden.

Mesclun:

This is baby leaf lettuce mix; traditionally of leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, chervil – now we’ve gone flavor crazy and add in spinach, kale, mizuna, Swiss chard, mustard greens, frisée, mâche, radicchio, sorrel… and I love it!

Butterhead:

These are the tender the bib lettuces, soft and sweet, great for wrapping . They do form a head, but its looser and you can harvest the outer leaves like other cut and come again types.

Crisphead:

Icebergs fall into this category. Typically having tighter heads and crisp structured leaves, these are best suited to grow to maturity and be taken as one full head, doing well as either the ‘last lettuce standing’ left in a container, or being transplanted out into a garden bed once the weather warms.

Before jumping onto the next variety, just remember how much more flavor all homegrown veggies have compared to their grocery store counterparts. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the taste and crunch of a homegrown ice berg!

Romaine:

Romaine’s outer leaves can be tough when you buy it from the grocery, but you can enjoy the outer leaves all season wen you grow it at home! If you can let it grow to a full head it is also amazing on the grill!

There are many other fast growing greens I love, from Mizuna, Cress, Mustard Greens etc. Even radishes grow happily with lettuces. Get as creative as you want, and enjoy the variety of flavors that grow well in a container!

Kale

A special word about kale, since I have a known addiction to this hardiest of garden greens, see this previous blog post for further proof. Please know (and consider) that you can transplant these out into the garden from the container and they will continue to grow and produce through fall’s frosts.

Get Growing

Most lettuce seeds need to be barely pushed into the soil. Some, like spinach, require a mere 1/2″ of soil covering them to germinate. Most germination will happen in a few day, so seeing seeds emerge 3-5 days after planting is a fast reward as well.
**Lettuces need on average Six Inches of Soil to grow solid roots.**

Light

We all know plants need light to grow, and lettuce greens are no exception, but they only require part sun, so a sunny window, as long as it’s not in the months surrounding the winter solstice, should grow just fine. If you have an indoor grow light, use it by all means!

The best part about growing in a small container is that you can move it. Eventually, being able to bring it outside, leaving it on a deck or balcony, after ‘hardening off’ the lettuce seedlings… If you have questions about seed starting in general check out my Seed Starting 101 blog.

I hope you try your hand at growing a little salad bar garden of your own! Let me know which are your favorite varieties, and of course ask any questions!

Dig In!
-Michelle

Soil Testing for the Home Gardener

March 5, 2020 / / 3 Comments

The more I garden, the more in awe I am of the soil that helps it grow.

This is a great time of year to dig into- yes even under the snow- and get a soil sample. You’ll be digging up a better understanding how to help your garden grow!

A deeper understanding of the earth that grows our food leads to a deeper respect for it. And I believe the earth could use a little more respect right now!

There are two main options out there for soil testing. Home tests and Laboratory Testing Services. Both of the soil tests check for the basics:  Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium/Potash and Soil pH levels. From there things diverge. Let’s take a look at which test might be right for you.

The Home Test

For years my kids have looked forward to doing the home version of testing our soil in early spring, mostly because they get to be ‘soil scientists’ 😊. Letting them dig up the dirt and pour it and the chemicals into the ‘chemistry tubes’ went a long way to getting my kids into gardening. We bought a version just like This One which cost $15 and has lasted three years (with multiple uses each year).

The simple DIY way of buying a soil test kit will give you general results, telling you if anything is WAY off. Because these tests are done at home they’re quick, and have enough product/test strips to test many times. If you just want a general idea if a soil is nitrogen deficient this is a good option. PS: they also sell slick digital soil pH testers if that’s what you really care about.

Laboratory Soil Test

The U of MN, through CFANS, College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, has a simple online test submission process, and **if you get in before the rush** a quick two week turn-around time. Use the Lawn & Garden form, I checked for “Vegetable Garden”.

Most University/ extension services provide a few different levels of testing, and recommendations. If you plan on planting near a road that gets lots of winter salt plowed up on it, you can check for the “soluble salts test” and you can even test for lead if suspected. They have all the instructions and options laid out on their
online forms. The basic soil test costs $21, soluble salts test costs $9, and lead costs $22 (updated 2025).

I recommend taking two or more samples from different parts of the yard, front and back gardens for example, to compare different growing spaces spots in your yard.

Soil Science Notes

Disclaimer: Soil is unfathomably intricate and in constant flux. So, starting to understand it can seem daunting.

For example, “there are at minimum 1 billion microbes and yards of fungal strands in a teaspoon of average soil”.

Yup, daunting.

But, like with all things worth understanding in the garden and in life; when we take small steps, we can eventually cover a lot of ground. You’ll soon ‘get it’ enough to make a real difference in our gardens, and on our plates – and quite honestly, the world.

Soil is where our food starts, and the soil in use for commercial farming is simply not growing food as well as it used to. We now understand that we’ve been poisoning it plus the animals that eat the food grown this way- from microscopic to the noticeable insects, the birds that eat them… and all the way up to us humans.

Understanding a little about soil science helps you sort fact from fiction. You’ll be able to sniff out the false advertising proposing your purchase fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. My hope is this overview will get more people comfortable growing 100% organic!

The Soil Nutrients

Plants need lots of things to grow well, but we can boil it down to three basic necessities: Sunlight, Water, Nutrients – let’s dive into those nutrients! Think of soil as the stomach of the plant can help when thinking about taking up these nutrients.

Most soil tests look at amounts of a few very specific chemical nutrients. These results simply can’t take into account the vast soil food web relationships that are required to be in decent proportion for plants to able to access the minerals and nutrients in the soil. But they give us a place to start, a foothold. The elements that are most often looked at are N-P-K; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium/potash.

N- Nitrogen

Nitrogen gets a lot of press, so I bet you know a fair share about this chemical powerhouse. All plants need nitrogen to make amino acids, proteins and DNA. Nitrogen is also a big component of chlorophyll production and photosynthesis. Plants obtain nitrogen through when bacteria in the soil convert the nitrogen to ammonium and nitrate, which is then taken up by the plants by a process of nitrogen fixation.

The Organic Way to Add more Nitrogen:

Composted manure, Blood Meal, fish emulsion or Worm Castings.

P – Phosphorus

mixing seed starting soil

Phosphorus is a vital component of ATP (get your HS chemistry class hats on) which is the ‘energy unit’ of plants. Without enough P, plant stems are usually weak and leaves can turn a blueish-green tint. P is needed right after germination to help lift the plant out of the ground.

Seeds need a reserve of P to accomplish this, so there needs to be enough P throughout the lifecycle of a plant for the seed to hold enough to grow on in its next generation.

The Organic Way to Add more Phosphorus:

with bone meal or kelp meal

K- Potassium/Potash

Potash is a potassium-based product that is often bonded to other chemicals. Plants use most of their available potash for keeping water levels up in their plant cells, and so is added to fertilizers to help with water retention. Plants also use K to activate protein and sugar synthesis, which is basically how plants grow. Often adding

You know how bananas are a  good source of potassium- well, only if they grow in soil with available potassium…in the form of potash stored in the soil in various salt forms- from nitrates, sulfates etc- which have gotten a bad wrap as of late- but with all things it’s the form of thing that matters… and these little nutrients are important for all kinds of veggies.

The Organic Way to Add More Potassium/ Potash: 

wood ash (slightly raises pH levels), green sand

pH – Acidic to Alkaline

I think this is one of the most anti-intuitive readings out there (anyone else?!). I always have to remind myself that the numbers mean the opposite of what I think.  A lower pH level means the soil is more acidic (good for blueberries, those blue hydrangea) and higher pH means the soil is more alkaline (also called ‘sweet’ soil). A pH level of 6.5 is considered ideal for most vegetables, but anything between 6 and 7 will grow good food.

Soil acidity levels have huge impacts on what nutrients are bio-available in the soil. So (and this is another one of those amazing relationships in our soil) even though you have lots of Phosphors in your soil, if your pH is below 6.5 your plants could have trouble absorbing it.

My Soil Test Report

I had two tests done, because I wanted to compare my front yard soil with my vegetable garden soil. We haven’t done anything to our front yard except mow (leaving the mulched grass clippings in place) and throw some fertilizer on a few years back. In comparison, I’ve been amending our backyard vegetable garden soil for years, adding our own compost, leaf mold and building a few “lasagna garden beds” (look for a blog post coming this summer about lasagna gardening).

I was curious if all my work was paying off…

Well, it has!

The biggest difference was the % of organic matter. Only 2.8% in the front yard, compared to 9.8% in the veggie patch! Wow! I’m impressed.

Nutrients in higher % organic matter soils (like compost) don’t wash away. They stay put, as long as the soil is relatively undisturbed, another reason I’m a proponent of the lasagna garden!

The organic matter helps keeps ‘on tap’ more of the nutrients rather than spraying them on only to get washed away.

my soil test report

My pH varied greatly between my front and backyard spaces as well. A pH of 6.0 in the front yard, compared to 7.1 in the back. With just over a 7.0 reading, the Iron and Manganese in my soil might be a little harder for my veggie plants to absorb in the back, which is why I’m looking into adding some more Humic acid to my veggie beds. This is a good article that goes over the basics and drills down about Humic acid (even covers the electronegativity factor).

The report also goes over the levels of Phosphorus and Potassium. But even though Nitrogen is a major building block, it is not included in the Regular Test package because “correlations between the soil nitrate test and plant growth have only been established in some areas of Minnesota, and only for a limited number of crops.  One reason for the difficulty in establishing uniform fertilizer recommendations based upon soil test nitrate is that nitrate is easily leached out of the soil by rain-water and so precipitation can significantly change the nitrate test result,” states the U of MN Soil testing laboratory.

baby cabbages started in soil blocks inside

I feel like I’m one step closer to digging in to the garden season armed with my soil test results! And what really matters is how we use this information to help grow good food for ourselves and our families. A deeper understanding of the earth that grows our food leads to a deeper respect for it. And I believe the earth could use a little more respect right now!

Congratulations to making it through this science heavy article- you deserve a high five! If you want to dig a little deeper, Dr. Elaine Ingham is one of the most respected soil scientists and was recently interviewed by Joe L’ampl on his Jo Gardener Show podcast, worth every second!

So go ahead and test your soil this season- whichever way you chose your eyes will be opened to some of the life that is being lived just under the surface that helps feed you every day!

Can’t wait to dig in!
Michelle

Vegetable Stamping

December 3, 2019 / / 3 Comments

Vegetable stamping towels is an easy craft project using vegetables (and fruit) to make your very own unique gifts.

Combining my love of vegetables and a homemade gift was a natural. These also make awesome teacher gifts, hostess gifts and are a fun eco-friendly way to wrap up some preserves or pickles!

This is a very simple process which is the only reason I do this!! I am the first person to admit I’m NOT crafty. Basically, if I can eat it, I’ll spend hours making it; but when it comes to a ‘craft’, well- my patience evaporates. But this is a project I keep coming back to, so I figured it was time to share!

Project Prep

Buy Towels

I can often find 100% cotton made in America towels for $1 a piece at places like Fleet Farm. You can also buy organic cotton towels online in bulk if you really want to go for it!

Buy Paints

Most craft stores will have a wide variety of fabric Paints, make sure you do buy FABRIC paint as the others will wash out. Grab some paint brushes while you’re in the aisle, I ran out of brushes for all the colors and using sponges got old towards the end 😉

Buy Veggies

You want to buy firm veggies, slightly under-ripe is best. And think of all the different ways you can slice to get different shapes. I’ve got lots of examples here, but feel free to play around with other ideas- and if you come up with a cool print, please share!

I like to get a little funky with the cabbage – making Christmas tree shapes with the marbled effect is too fun to pass up.

*You can also use a cookie cutter and/or carve out any shaped stamp you’d like out of a potato. I did not highlight making potato stamps here, as I think nature has provided us with enough beautiful designs.

Set Up

You’ll want to do this on a table you can easily wipe down between each stamping or lay down a plastic tablecloth to wipe down. The paint will almost always soak through the towel. Get lots of separate paint containers, and trays on which to set the painted veggies.  You’ll also want to consider where you’ll dry these – I strung a clothesline in our basement to dry overnight.

Get Stamping!

Now for the fun part. Designing your towels – or not! I sometimes wing it, sometimes have a planned pattern or design. The best part is you get to decide! Another fun stamping tutorial is over on the Homestead and Chill website, a great all around website for all things homesteading.

Both turn out fun and whimsical because with vegetables, fruits and paint each piece, each stamp is different. And that, my friends, is what makes these so fun!

So stamp away – and remember to save any unused fruit and veggie halves for later. I also cut off the paint-soaked parts and added the limp bits to our compost.

Not my normal vegetable project – but these sure are fun, and are a craft my kids can join in on too. Playing with your food is fun for everyone! If you’re into a more natural DIY crafty projects, check out my recent Calendula Salve DIY article!

Dig In!
Michelle

Calendula Salve DIY

November 20, 2019 / / 18 Comments

This was the first herbal salve I ever made, years ago and it is still one of my all time favorites to use, pretty much daily. this Calendula salve softens, heals, soothes and calms my skin in ways that nothing else can.

Making salve is kind of the gateway herbal bath and body product. Once you realize that you can mix a few natural, quality ingredients and end up with a practical, beautiful and healing product most people feel empowered. I want you to feel that power too!

At a time when more and more of us are becoming aware of what we’re putting on and into our bodies – along with the carbon footprint the products we use leave behind… making your own salve is a great place to pivot.

These salves also make great gifts! As I am writing it is prime Holiday Shopping time, yet my gifts are being made from things I am already have in my home. Nothing beats a consumable, homemade gift as far as I’m concerned. Bonus that you can use canisters you already have, furthering your commitment to ‘reduce – reuse – recycle’!

Basic Benefits of Calendula Salve:

Calendula petals contains anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties, and is used to soothe a long list of skin ailments. Plus, it’s safe to use on babies (yes, even the finished salve with beeswax)! The oils and beeswax are both sustainable and deeply healing in their own right – so being able to swirl and melt them all together can make just about anyone feel like a healer.

There are
two basic steps to making salves.

*Infusing the oil with an herb/flower you’ll be using.

*Adding the thickening + healing agents to that oil.

Flowers First

Like all recipes, it’s important to start with quality ingredients. Growing my own Calendula adds so much to the garden, as both a trap crop for many common garden pests, and as a draw for beneficial insects – plus they’re gorgeous. I prefer Calendula Resina because it has the highest concentration of petal ‘resin’ aka the good stuff.

These are also great starter plant to seed save from; more on seed saving here. This is all before I snip off the buds to use their medicine. More in depth info on growing these and other beauties at my  Companion Planting Flowers for your Vegetable Garden.

Harvesting Calendula

Summer is in full swing when it is finally time to start harvesting the flowers. This is both rewarding and a great way to tidy up the garden. Picking them at their peak, with fully opened petals but not drooping- and after the morning dew has dried but not in the heat of the afternoon, will yield the best resin.

So, start with either homegrown calendula or skip that part of the process and buy your calendula from a trusted source. The only place I’ve been consistently happy with is Mountain Rose Herbs. They have an amazing selection and grow things they way I do.

Making Calendula Oil:

Once the flowers are cut, I usually let me calendula (and any other herbs/petals) wilt for a good day or two- or sometimes place in our dehydrator overnight to reduce the water content. This make for a more intense infusion and reduces the chance of mold in the oil as you let the plants sit and infuse.  After they’re wilted/dried a bit cover the petals with enough oil so the petals are fully submerged. This also helps keep any possible mold at bay. I use a mason jar and screw the lid on. I usually write the date I started the infusion on a dissolving label and let it set for at least 4 to 6 weeks – usually much more. I routinely let my oils infuse for 3 months.

Sweet Almond Oil was my go-to carrier oil for infusing, until I realized that folks with nut allergies are also allergic to almond oil. So while it has the softest feel, a good shelf life and healing properties of its own I only use it for recipes I know only my family will use. I now prefer Apricot Kernel oil. I’ve used a light Extra Virgin olive oil and avocado oil as well, they work great, too.

Infusing the Oil

Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time, a process often called steeping.

Herbal academy

Think of this as a cold brewed tea on overdrive. There are quicker methods where you heat the oil. I’ve never tried this, but if you want to check out the Double Boiler Herb-Infused Oil section of the Herbal Academy article, you can make the infusion in a day. It will not be as potent as the slower, lower temperature version.

*You can also slowly add petals to this jar as they bloom- just make sure they are dried a bit and remember to keep adding oil to cover petals completely.*

By the time I’m ready to make salve the bulk of my outdoor garden work has slowed down – and if you don’t have time to make the salve right away, just try to strain off the oil from the infusion within 12 weeks. This straining is as easy as leaving it to drip through a sieve, until the very end when you’ll want to get in there and squeeze out every last drop of goodness. The oil will be cloudier as you squeeze, this is totally normal.

Alchemy Time

Basic Salve Recipe

1 C Calendula Infused Oil (or less if adding other oils)

1 Oz Beeswax

20+ drops of Essential oil of choice.
Here’s a great list of Essential oils for salves and their properties.

Now it’s time to get your other ingredient(s) and containers in order. Mainly, beeswax and any other oils you’ll be adding to the mix. One word about beeswax. If you can buy directly from a beekeeper- the raw goodness, plus the smell of honey will add another layer of healing to your salve. Local beeswax will keep the carbon foot print low as well!

I keep my salve recipes pretty simple and just add a bit of jojoba or emu oil to the pot as I’m warming the ingredients. And topping it off with essential oils just before I pour it off.

So Simple

Melt + Pour.

It really is that simple.

Notice my pyrex measuring cup in lieu of an actual double boiler- means one less dish!

In a double boiler (see my cheater version above) or a heavy pan start warming the infused oil and beeswax. If you want to make a larger or smaller batch a good rule of thumb is 1 ounce of beeswax for every 1 cup of oil. You can play around with these ratios as much as you’d like. Adding more beeswax will give you a harder salve; some like a harder slave for summer so it doesn’t melt.

The only trick is to not let the mixture get above 140- low heat is the trick here! If adding essential oils (I do love this, but unless capped they loose their fragrance quickly) do so right at the end. I usually turn off the burner and add just before I pour in.

I usually opt for Lavender or rosemary – but this time I let my son choose. I make this as much for his eczema as anything else, so I figured he could chose the scent…and I love that after smelling over 30 bottles he chose frankincense, which is an essential oil known for being wonderful for your skin!

Let the containers cool and cap in a few hours.

Congratulations! You’ve just made your first salve.

One cup of oil turned into this much calendula salve.

These are great as gifts, and you’ve solved the dilemma of needing an upstairs + a downstairs + a car + a backpack skin cream without any fake chemicals or plastic packaging. Well done!

I wonder what you’ll dig into next!?!

Michelle

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